Brittney Griner pleads responsible to drug fees in Russian court docket

July 8, 2022

Griner, whom the US State Division has labeled as wrongfully detained, faces as much as 10 years in jail beneath the cost. Supporters of the Phoenix Mercury participant have known as for her launch over fears she is getting used as a political pawn amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Griner’s legal professionals anticipate the court docket to take note of the 31-year-old athlete’s responsible plea and hope for leniency, Alexander Boykov and Maria Blagovolina instructed journalists Thursday.

Samples taken from Griner didn’t present any traces of medicine, Boykov added. “She was clear, and he or she was examined,” the lawyer mentioned.

It was her resolution to plead responsible, Griner’s Russian authorized crew mentioned in a press release, including that she “units an instance of being courageous.”

“She determined to take full duty for her actions as she is aware of that she is a task mannequin for many individuals,” their assertion learn.

“Contemplating the character of her case, the insignificant quantity of the substance and BG’s character and historical past of optimistic contributions to world and Russian sport, the protection hopes that the plea shall be thought-about by the court docket as a mitigating issue and there shall be no extreme sentence.”

Her legal professionals mentioned they anticipate the trial to finish across the starting of the August.

Griner left the courtroom Thursday with out giving any remark to reporters. Her subsequent listening to is about for July 14.

Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport after Russian officers say they discovered hashish oil in her baggage. The basketball star, who performs in Russia throughout the WNBA’s offseason, has been held since then on drug smuggling fees. Her trial started final week.

Griner instructed the court docket Thursday she had not supposed to commit against the law, state information company RIA Novosti reported. Griner had not meant to hold medicine in her baggage, she mentioned by means of an interpreter, and it was the results of her packing in a rush, the report mentioned.

The choice to plead responsible was made by Griner alone, a supply near her mentioned. However in latest weeks, Griner, her household, legal professionals and consultants had mentioned this resolution extensively. Given the 99% reported conviction fee in Russian prison circumstances, Griner was urged to weigh all of the components, together with a plea that might finally end in a shorter sentence.

Some have speculated Griner may very well be launched and returned to the US in a prisoner swap, as was Trevor Reed, an American veteran detained in Russia for 3 years earlier than his launch in April.

There is no such thing as a indication such a swap is imminent in Griner’s case.

Nonetheless, earlier than any potential prisoner swap, it was anticipated Griner must be convicted and in addition admit fault, a senior US official instructed CNN. Reed needed to signal a doc saying he was responsible — one thing he had resisted for nearly everything of his detention — simply days earlier than he was set free, the official mentioned.

“It’s a part of the present and the doc has no authorized power or impact within the US. It’s successfully meaningless,” mentioned Reed household spokesperson Jonathan Franks.

Griner’s plea got here on the second day of her trial, at which a prosecutor accused her of smuggling lower than a gram of hashish oil in her baggage. Prosecutors argue Griner supposed to import the medicine into Russia’s territory and put the prohibited substances right into a backpack and a suitcase, based on TASS, one other state information company.

Griner appreciates letter from Biden, lawyer says

At Thursday’s listening to, a senior US diplomat gave Griner a letter US President Joe Biden wrote her in reply to her July 4 letter wherein she pleaded for Biden’s assist. The US Embassy in Moscow shared Biden’s letter with Griner throughout her trial, Cost d’affaires Elizabeth Rood mentioned Thursday.

Griner appreciated Biden’s letter “like each citizen of each nation would admire a private letter from the President,” Boykov mentioned.

On Wednesday, the White Home introduced Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had spoken by cellphone with Griner’s spouse. Cherelle Griner was “grateful” for the decision, she mentioned in a press release Wednesday.

“Whereas I’ll stay involved and outspoken till (Brittney Griner) is again residence, I’m hopeful in realizing that the President learn my spouse’s letter and took the time to reply,” she mentioned. “I do know BG will be capable to discover consolation in realizing she has not been forgotten.”

Meantime, the US authorities ought to “proceed doing what they’re doing and exhaust each measure potential to assist convey BG residence,” Griner’s Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard instructed CNN on Thursday following her plea.

Whereas the main focus have to be on bringing Griner residence safely, Nygaard additionally known as out a perceived double customary within the “lack of protection and the worth of girls’s sports activities.”

“The query is, would Tom Brady be residence?” the coach mentioned. “However Tom Brady would not be there, proper, as a result of he would not must go to a overseas nation to complement his earnings from the WNBA.”

A rally Wednesday for Griner held by the Mercury and the workplace of US Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona was “actually, actually great,” Nygaard mentioned, including she nonetheless was involved about Griner’s security in Russia.

“In her letter (to Biden), she mentioned that she was scared,” the coach mentioned. “This isn’t only a common American out of the country, however it is a one who is represented our nation nicely. She’s additionally a homosexual girl. She’s additionally a black girl in Russia. And we have to take note of that and assist to convey her residence.”

CNN’s Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.